Improved dbedsing machine



@uiten tatrs atut @Hirn JEAN LOUIS VERGNIAIS. OF PARIS, FRANCE. lLaimPatent No. 67,384, daad July so, 1867.'

IMPROVED DREDGING MACHINE.

TO ALL T0 WHOM IT MAY CGNCERN:

Be it known that I, JEAN LOUIS VERGNIAIS, of No. 24, Rue du Mont Thabor,Paris, in the Empire of France, civil engineer, have invented a new anduseful improvement on amachine to excavate, deepen, scour, and removethe mud, slime, sand, earth. shoal, gravel, stones, shingle, or suchlike bodies out of harbors, havens, docks,4 creeks, guts, bars,channels, water-courses, sluices, basins, lakes, ponds, marshes, andsuch like places; and I do hereby declare that the following is a'full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecifcation, in which- Figure 1 is a view in plane of the machineFigure 2, a longitudinal and central section of the pump-chambers,showing how the valves of the sucking' tube are disposed.

Figure 3, a section of said tube, showing how the .elbowed knee-pieces(genoullrea) are jointed together soas to` allow of their beingstretched horizontallyl and vertically.

Figure 4, a longitudinal side view of the same.

Figure' 5, a view in plane of the under surface of the apparatus placedat the extremity of the sucking-tube,v

` which is called the sucker; and

Figure 6, a transverse section of the sanne.

ln these figures the same letters ot' reference indicate similar parts.

A is the frame; B, the cast-irou cylinders or pump-chambers; C, thecast-iron pistons; D, the valves of the pump-chambers; E, the rods ofthe pistons; F, the connectingrods of the same; G, the shaft of theconnecting-rods; H, the driving-wheelof said shaft; I, tbe sucking-tube;IJ, the double-branching pipes of the sucking-tube xed on thepump-chambers; K, the valves of the double-branching pipes; L, theoutlet or orifice through which tlow the matters forced out; M, theelbowed joints or knee-pieces (genouz'llres) of the suckingtube, made ofiron, east iron, lead, or copper; O, the sucker. l

This invention consists in a Acombination of means (some of which areperfectly new) constituting a machine fit to extract, and transport along distance off, by suction and pressure, the mud, slime, sand, earth,shoal, gravel, stones, shingle, or such like bodies, which fill andchoke up harbors, havens, docks, creeks, guts, bars, channels,water-courses, sluices, basins, lakes, ponds, marshes, and similarplaces, and consequently to disinfect and purify, by substituting freshwater, that in which these foul matters stand, and which are carried offwith it.

To work the machine the pump-chambers and sucking-tube should be placedin a horizontal position, and the pump-chambers on as near a level aspossible with the water, where the operation takes place. With any sortof motive power the pistons C ot' cylinder B are acted upon by means ofthe driving-wheel H, the shaft G, the connecting-rod F, and the rods E.The pistons act alternatively vby sucking by the double-branching pipesJ, and by forcing, by the double valves D and through the orilice ofescape or outlet L, the waters and foul matters it may contain., Byfixing to the outlet tubes similar to. those of forcing, this suckingand forcing may take place at greater or lesser distances by means ofthe elbowed joints or knee-pieces (genauz'llres) M,tlhe disposition ofwhich, constituting an important feature of the said invention, allowsofthe turning the sections of the said tubes over on themselves, eitherhorizontally or vertically, so as to place at a greater or lesserdistance or height the sucker O in the said directions towards thedesired spot. This disposition consists in fitting one in the other theelbowed extremities of two sections of tube, which turn one in theother. The junction of the two is effected by bolts, one of their wormedextremities of which is fixed by nuts to ears in one of thc sections,whilst the other extremity runs through an iron rundle, N, about an inchthick, whichis held Erm by the head of the bolt, as shown in iig. 3,'which `rundle rests on a ring smelted on the other section of the tube.Instead of running it through a rundle, the extremity of the bolt mightbe furnished' with a hook which would rest on the. said ring. y

Anotherimportantimprovement consists in the arrangement of the valves.hesel valves are placed on an inclined plane, as shown in fig. 2, so aste close themselves by their own weight. The lower parts of the valves Dof the pump-chambers B are at a distance of about three and .one-halt'inches from the edges of the pumpchambers, to avoid that the accumulatedsand, stones, shingle, or other bodies prevent them from Solo-sing.,

The sucking apparatus O consists of halt' a cylinder, one of thc ends ofwhich is closed, the other end being 'jointed to the sucking-tube. Thelower partis closed by a metal plateundulating.transversely andhaving'the form of teeth, the almost vertical or slightly-shelving sidesof whieh are perforated. This lowerpart is placed on the matters to beextracted. The diameter of theseperforations mustfbe so calculated that'the volume of matters sucked benot in excess of half the distance leftbetween the lower' -pa'rt of. the valves and the lower or' adjacent edgeof the pump-chambers', seas to avoid all obstacle intheclosing of-t-hesevalves. The sum of the 'diameters of these perforations should be atleas-t equal to the"diameter of the sucking-tube. So as not to damagethe beach or bank, a metal plate-might be Fixed on the side of the`Asucker next'to the beach or bank.

In order to prevent the sand or gravel from scratching or othemviseinjuring the cylinders, the packing of the pistonsis made with plaits orstrings of' cotton. This packing has the advantage of repelling the sandand gravel without these being able to impregnate themselves. Thispacking maybe replaced by-steel springs such as those commonly used forthe pistons of'st'eam engines. Finally, the diameter of theforcing-tube, if any be used, 'should be double that of thesucking-turbe.

Having now' described the said invention and the manner of carrying thesame into elfect, I would have itr understood that I do not restrictmyself` to the exact forms and dispositions above described and setforth in the accompanying. drawings, which may vary according to the'application of the machine without departing from the principle on whichit is based; but what I claim and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the dierent means whichl constitute-the machine, andnotably,

1'. The undulating lower fa'ce of the sucker, having perforations on thesides of the'undulations7 substantially as described. l r

2. The combination with the induction and eductionvvalves K D and thepump-chambers B of the jointed pipe and perforated undulating-facedsucker, substantially as described.

J. L. VERGNIAIS. Witnesses:

H. BONNEVILLE, H. FnIcKnn.

